• Healthcare

Suki Enhances Epic’s EHR Software with Generative AI Capabilities

May 23, 2023

Suki, a voice artificial intelligence (AI) company, has announced the integration of its AI voice-powered tool, Suki Assistant, into Epic’s electronic health record (EHR) software. Through Epic’s ambient application programming interface (API), Suki Assistant utilizes generative AI to automatically generate clinician notes by “listening” to clinician-patient encounters.

The integration aims to reduce clinician burnout and streamline documentation processes. This article explores the benefits of Suki’s AI assistant, its role in improving clinical workflows, and the growing presence of AI in healthcare documentation.

Suki Assistant’s Role in Clinical Documentation

By leveraging generative AI and large language models (LLMs), Suki Assistant analyzes and summarizes relevant portions of clinician-patient conversations, presenting them as suggestions for notes.

However, it’s important to note that clinicians retain complete control over the generated content. They can accept, reject, or edit the AI-generated notes to ensure accuracy and personalization. Suki reports that its ambient note-generation feature can significantly reduce documentation time per note, with family medicine seeing up to 72% reductions.

Addressing Clinician Burnout and Workflow Challenges

Clinician burnout has become a pressing issue, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and labor shortages. Generative AI tools like Suki Assistant aim to alleviate workflow burdens and enhance efficiency. By automating note creation and reducing documentation time, clinicians can devote more time to direct patient care, improving overall job satisfaction and work-life balance.

Empowering Clinicians with Ambient AI

Suki Assistant’s ambient mode offers clinicians a new way to approach documentation, coding, and information retrieval. The generative AI technology listens to clinician-patient interactions in real time and autonomously generates clinical notes within seconds without requiring constant human intervention. While AI takes on the task of note-taking, clinicians retain ultimate control, allowing them to edit and approve notes based on their expertise and judgment. The AI-driven suggestions serve as a starting point, enhancing efficiency and reducing cognitive load.

Growing Presence of AI in Healthcare Documentation

Suki’s integration with Epic’s EHR is one example of AI’s increasing role in healthcare documentation. Other companies, such as Nuance (owned by Microsoft), leverage AI technologies like GPT-4 to provide clinical documentation within EHR systems. Microsoft and Epic recently expanded their partnership to integrate Microsoft’s Azure OpenAI Service into Epic’s EHR platform. These collaborations highlight the industry’s recognition of the potential for AI to enhance documentation processes and improve patient care.

Integrating Suki Assistant into Epic’s EHR software represents a significant advancement in leveraging AI to streamline clinical documentation. By automating note generation and offering AI-driven suggestions, Suki Assistant aims to reduce clinician burnout and enhance workflow efficiency. With clinicians retaining control over the generated notes, the technology empowers healthcare professionals to personalize and finalize documentation according to their expertise. As AI continues to make strides in healthcare, it holds great promise for improving documentation processes, optimizing patient care, and supporting healthcare providers in their crucial roles

Sources:
https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/suki-integrates-generative-ai-assistant-in-epic-ehr-software/650668/
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230517005281/en/Suki-Launches-Ambient-API-Integration-with-Epic
https://www.suki.ai/news/suki-assistant-significantly-reduces-primary-care-physician-documentation-burden/
https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/generative-AI-healthcare-gpt-potential/648104/
https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/healthcare-labor-trends-2023/641352/
https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/microsoft-acquires-clinical-voice-to-text-company-nuance-for-197b/598211/
https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/microsoft-epic-azure-open-ai-partnership-ehrs/647784/